Writing Skill
7. Approaches in Teaching Writing
Based on the theory of L2 writing, there are two approaches to teaching writing.
a. Product Approach
Product approach as its name indicated gives emphasis on the final product of writing. It is characterized by four stages: familiarization; controlled writing; guided writing; and free writing. The familiarization stage aims to make learners aware of certain features of a particular text. In controlled and guided writing sections, the learners practice the skills with increasing freedom until they are ready for the free writing section, when they use writing skill as part of a genuine
activity such as a letter, story or essay. 55 In short, product-based approaches view writing as mainly concerned with
knowledge about the structure of language, and writing development as mainly the result of the imitation of input in the form of text provided by the teacher.
1. Process Writing Approach
The process writing approach emphasizes on writing activities which shift learners from generating ideas and collecting data through to the publication of a complete text. It takes more attention to the process a writer ‘s experiences in the process of text making rather than the final product comprises several stages. There are different views on the stages that the writers go through in producing a piece of writing. Christenson comprises five stages of process writing approach, i.e., prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Seow views that the
55 Hyland, K. 2003. Second Language Writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.p.3- 4 55 Hyland, K. 2003. Second Language Writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.p.3- 4
The activities at the prewriting stage includes activating schemata, generating ideas, and making plan for approaching the writing task that can be done through brainstorming. At the composing/drafting stage, learners would select and structure the result of the brainstorming session to provide a plan of description. After discussion, the learners might revise the first draft working individually or in group. Finally, the learners would edit or proof-read the text.
2. Genre-based Approach
The genre-based approach believes that learners do not just write. They write something to achieve some purposes by following certain social conventions for organizing messages because they want the readers recognize their purpose.
The genre approach comprises three stages, namely modeling the target genre, constructing the text by learners and teacher, constructing the text
independently by learners. 56 In short, genre-based approach see writing as essentially concerned with
knowledge of language, and as being tied closely to a social purpose, while the development of writing is largely viewed as the analysis and imitation of input provided by the teacher.
56 Ibid. 69
3. Process Genre-based Approach
Writing development happened by drawing out the learners‘ potential (as in process approach) and by providing input to which the learners‘ respond (as in
product and genre approaches). According to Badger & White the model of process genre approach may be described in terms of a view of writing and a few of the development of writing. The fundamental thought of this approach is that writing involves knowledge about language (as in the product and genre approaches), knowledge of the context in which writing happens and especially the purpose the writing (as in genre approach), and skills in using language (as in process writing approach).
One of the advantages is that as the genre-based emphasizes on the purpose of writing, language and context, the process approach provides a framework for the teaching of text production skills. In this learning environment the students are facilitated to achieve better result in writing since they are assisted with the content and practice.